J Educ Eval Health Prof.  2010;7:1.

Program Evaluation in Medical Education: An Overview of the Utilization-focused Approach

• Vassar M
• Wheeler DL
• Davison M
• Franklin J

Abstract

Medical school administrators, educators, and other key personnel must often make difficult choices regarding the creation, retention, modification, or termination of the various programs that take place at their institutions. Program evaluation is a data-driven strategy to aide decision-makers in determining the most appropriate outcome for programs within their purview. The purpose of this brief article is to describe one program evaluation model, the utilization-focused approach. In particular, we address the focus of this model, the personal factor, the role of the evaluator, and the evaluation process. Based on the flexibility of this model as well as its focus on stakeholder involvement, we encourage readers to consider the utilization-focused approach when evaluating programs.

Keyword

Program Evaluation; Medical Education; Utilization-Focused Evaluation

MeSH Terms

Administrative Personnel
Education, Medical
Humans
Hypogonadism
Mitochondrial Diseases
Ophthalmoplegia
Pliability
Program Evaluation
Retention (Psychology)
Schools, Medical
Hypogonadism
Mitochondrial Diseases
Ophthalmoplegia

Reference

1. Fitzpatrick JL, Sanders JR, Worthen BR. Program evaluation: alternative approaches and practical guidelines. 3rd ed. Boston (MA): Pearson Education Inc.;2004. p. 5.

2. Durning SJ, Hemmer P, Pangaro LN. The structure of program evaluation: an approach for evaluating a course, clerkship, or components of a residency or fellowship training program. Teach Learn Med. 2007; 19:308–18.

3. Gibson KA, Boyle P, Black DA, Cunningham M, Grimm MC, McNeil HP. Enhancing evaluation in an undergraduate medical education program. Acad Med. 2008; 83:787–93.

4. Musick DW. A conceptual model for program evaluation in graduate medical education. Acad Med. 2006; 81:759–65.

5. Patton MQ. Utilization-focused evaluation. Stufflebeam DL, Madaus GF, Kellaghan T, editors. Evaluation models. Boston (MA): Kluwer Academic Publishers;2000. p. 425–38.

6. Patton MQ. Utilization-focused evaluation. 4 ed. Thousand Oaks (CA): Sage Publications;2008.